Automatic gate-catch.



J. A. CLEMENTS.

AUTOMATIC GATE CATCH.

APPLICATION FlLED JULY 26. 1913.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916. 7

WITNESSES ATTO R N EY rates ii. detainee, enemies; rrlniiiois.

Antonina Gain-enr ch.

Specification of Letters rater 1t. i Patented Mjar,

Application filed July 26, 1913. Serial No. 781,400. 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. CLEMENTS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Abingdon, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Automatic Gate-Catch, of which the followingis a specification.

The invention relates to a combined automatic gate catch andgate-support.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofautomatic gate catches, and to provide a simple, inexpensive andeflicient automatic double acting gravity gate catch and gate support ofstrong and durable construction, designed for use on farm gates openingin either direction and adapted to support a gate in its closed positionand effectually preventthe gate from sagging or pulling the hinge postover orfrom being lifted out of engagement with the engaging means bysmart stock.

The invention also has for its object to provide an automatic catch ofthischaracter adapted to be easily operatedby a pedestrian or by anequestrian without dismounting, and equipped with means forexcludingrain, snow and sleet from its interior so that the same willnot interfere with the proper operation of the automatic catch.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to without departing fromthe spiritor'sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a front elevation of anautomatic catch andgate support, constructed in accordance with this invention, the latch,which is carried by the gate, being in section. Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view of the same, taken transversely with relation to thegate. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the automatic gate catch and gatesupport. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1,the

latch member, which is carried by the headed end of the gate, beingremoved. Fig.5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 1.Fig. 6 is a detail view of the removable front of the housing. Fig. 7 isa detail View of the adjustable latch member, which is carried by thegate.

Like numerals of reference designate cor responding parts inall thefigures of the drawing. r r

In the accompanying drawingin which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention, the automatic gate catch com prises in itspreferred construction an upper housing 1 and a lower supporting flangeor ledge 2, located below'the housing in spaced relation with the same-to'- form a gu'id'eway 3 for the passage of a latch member 4; Thesupporting ledge or flange 2, which consists of a central horizontalportion and opp0- sitely inclined side portions, extends inwardly orrearwardly beyond the vertical plane of the rear wall of the housing,and it is connected with the latter by a vertical back plate 5 and ahorizontal web or flange 6, extending rearwardly from the back of thehousing at the bottom thereof. The housing, which is approximatelyrectangular, iscomposed of a top wall, a vertical rear wall, verticalside or end walls and a removable front wall or plate 7 secured tothe'body portionof the housing by an upper horizontal bolt 8, extendingthrough 'aline'd openings in the front'and rear walls of the casing andthrough or into a post 9 so that it fastens the frontplate' of thehousing to the body thereof and also assists in firmly se curingthehousing to the post, as shown.

The back plate 5 is preferably provided at its lower portion with acentrally arranged vertical slot l0, extending upwardly from theloweredge ofthe said back plate 5 and receiving a'lower bolt ll,'which alsopierces the said post. Thefhousing is provided with an integralcentrallyarranged bottom portion l2',=extending forwardly'from the back" plateand arranged in spaced relation with thefend walls to form bottomopenings 13,

which guide lower engaging heads l l ofa pair of verticallymovable'locking dogs or,

catches 15. The housing is also provided in its'top wall with guideopenings 16, which are formed by slots extendinginwardly from thefrontedges of thetopwall of the housing, and the said dogs or catches-areretained in the upper guide openings by spaced lugs 17, projecting intothe frontportions of the top guide openings 16. Thereinov ablefrontplate is provided at its ends with notches 18'to engage with forwardlyprojecting lugs 19 of the end walls of the housing, and it has upper andlower inwardly extending lugs 20, which flt'against the inner or lowerface of the top wall of the housing and the upper face of the. bottomportion 12 of the same. i The housing is provided at its ends withlaterally projecting bracing flanges 21, which are located at the endsofthe guideway 3, and the rear plate 5 is provided with vertical ribs orflanges 22, which are embedded in the post, as clearly illustrated inFig. 3 of the drawing.

a The vertically movable dogs or catches, wh'ch are in the form ofgravity acting plungers, have their intermediate portions reduced to fitthe upper guide openings 16, and they are enlarged at the upper ends ofthe intermediate portions to form caps or closures 23, which extend.beyond the upper guideopenings and fit against the top of the housingfor excluding snow and ice from the interior of the same. The lowerengag ing heads of the dogs or catches 15 are tapered to provide outerinclined side faces 24, and they have vertical inner faces 25, arrangedin spaced relation and adapted to receive between them the latch member4. The lower engaging heads are of a size to fill. the bottom guideopenings of the housing, and they are limited in their downward movementby the enlarged cap portions '23, and their upward :movement is limitedby upper shoulders formed by the'engaging heads 14. The dogs or catches,which, are interchangeable and independently operable, are adapted to.be lifted automatically by the latch member, and they automaticallydrop into engagement with the same and conflnethe said latch member onthe central portion of the supporting flange or ledge, which effectuallyprevents the gate from sagging and from straining and pulling over thehinge post. The upper ends of the dogs or catches are provided withveyes or openings 26 through which passes a double lever 27, constructedof No. 10 wire or other suit able material having horizontal terminalportions and an intermediate loop 28, located between the dogs orcatchesand adapted to retain the lever in the said eyes or openings 26. Theupper and lower walls of the eyes orv openings are rounded, as clearlyshown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and the terminal portions of thedoublelever project beyond the dogs or catches and are adapted to be eitherraised'or depressed for lifting the said dogs 'or catches. The doubleacting lever is adapted to fulcrum on either one of the independentlymovable locking dogs or catches 15, and when one end of the lever islifted it raises the d g or catch at that side of the catch. and bybearing down on a one end of the lever, the dog or catch at theotherside of the catch is raised so that;

.or catch, but when it passes either dog orcatch it is'caught andsecurely confined until released by the lifting of one of the dogs orcatches.

The latch member 4 consists of a front or outer engaging portion and ashank '28. The outer engaging portion consists of an upper central ribor flange 29 and a'lower; transversely tapered portion 30, projectinglaterally beyond the side faces of the upper rib or flange andpresenting inclined side faces adapted to ride readily upthe inclinedterminal portions of the ledge or flange '2. The upper ribor flange isadapted to engage the inclined outer edges or faces of the heads Thelatch member 14 of the catches or. dogsfor automatically:

lifting. the latter when the gate is swung to its closed position. Thecentral upper rib or flange has straight side faces, and iwhen it isarranged between the spaced inner vertical engaging edge of the catchesor dogs, it is securely retained in the'space between the dogs orcatches and is effectually prevented from being released by stock. Theshank 28 consists of a vertical plate provided with; upper and lowerhorizontal slots 31 provided-at intervals with circular enlargements 32,adapted to receive bolts for adjustably securing thelatch mem ber to thefront bar 33 of a gate. The slots and the bolts enable the latch memberto be:

adjusted inwardly and outw'ardly to engage properly the dogs or catchesof the latch.-

VVhat is claimed is 1. A gate catch including alatchmember designed tobemounted on agate, a housing provided in its top and bottom with: guideopenings, vertically slidabledogs or catches consisting of lowerengaging heads guided in thebottom openingsof the housing, re--' ducedintermediate portions through and guided in the openings in theextending; 7

top of the housing, an enlarged upper p orr tion located abovei the:casing exteriorly of the same and arranged to rest upon the top,

of the housing and. covering the upper guide openings, and an exterioroperating lever mounted on the enlarged upper portions of the dogs, eachof which forms a fulcrum for the lever to-permit the same to lift theother,

dog. 2. Agate catch including a latch member designed to be mounted on agate, a housing,

spaced dogs or catches slidable upwardly the latch member, and anoperatinglever arranged exteriorly of the casing and consisting ofapproximately horizontal terminal portions extending through the eyesofthe dogs or catches, and an intermediate loop located between the dogsor catches.

3. A gate catch including a latch member designed to be mounted on agate, a housing composed of a body portion pro vided with upper guideopenings formed by slots extending inwardly from one edge, said bodyportion being also provided with a central body portion spaced from theside walls and forming bottom guide openings, and a front plate havinglugs extending in the front portions of the said slots, said front platehaving upper and lower lugs fitting between the top wall of the body andthe bottom portion thereof, and vertically movable catches slidable inthe guide openings and having lower portions for engaging with the latchmember.

4. A gate catch including an upper housing, a lower flange or ledgearranged in spaced relation with the housing, dogs or catches dependingfrom the housing and projecting into the space between the same and thesaid flange or ledge, and a latch member designed to be adjustablymounted on a gate and having a projecting engaging portion arranged torest upon the flange or ledge and consisting of an upper centrallyarranged rib or flange adapted to engage the said dogs or catches, and alower transversely tapered portion projecting beyond the said rib orflange and presenting inclined side faces.

5. A gate catch comprising a housing, dogs vertically movable in thehousing,

and a coacting latch member adjustably mounted on a gate and adapted tobe adjusted to coact with the said dogs, said latch member consisting ofan outer engaging portion and a shank, said shank being formed of avertical plate provided with upper. and lower horizontal slots providedat intervals with enlargements, and bolts passing through the slots forattaching the shank to the gate.

6. A gate catch including a lower supporting ledge, spaced verticallymovable dogs or catches located above the ledge, and a latch memberdesigned to be adjustably mounted on a gate and having a projectingportion arranged to rest upon the ledge, said engaging portionconsisting of an upper centrally arranged rib or flange adapted to beengaged by the said dogs or catches, and a lower transversely taperedportion projecting beyond the said rib and presenting inclined sidefaces.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoaflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. (ELEMENTS.

Witnesses:

WV. F. MARKS, REUBEN DAvIs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

